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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fall — the season
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a hint
  9. object — an aim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. object — a thing
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — a signal
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com